Requiem of humanity: Forged by fires of Apocalypse
by Finnish Paragade
Summary: Humanity ventured to stars with 300 years worth of wasteland guidance and values shaped by their new world. The impression left behind by the worst of galactic community shapes the relationships and future between the Coalition of Post Apocalyptic Sol and Council species. Pairings FLW/FCourier and rest by polls
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Bioware owns the rights to Mass Effect and Bethesda softworks owns Fallout. This story is not for monetary gain other than to amuse and entertain us writers and readers with ideas and musings of two different and fantastic games.

AN: The general atmospehere and feeling flows between light and darker nature, both humans, Meta and purely unalterd ones has to fight one way or the other to keep their collective freedom from those who seek means to control their destiny.

I'll try to incorporate as much of Fallout weaponry, armours and other world stuff as possible. Bigger range of guns and outfits then the iconic and mundane Laser Rifle, Laser Gatling and Power armours.

Since there haven't been any mentions of these then i might as well put them in. F3 and NV radio channels are part of the story world.

Finally as a little warning there will be some OC's and maybe a single SI. Rest assured it ain't an unbeatable Mary Sue/Gary Stu character.

Without further say here is the Prologue to my bit of Mass Effect and Fallout crossing. Any ideas, thoughts and suggestions is appreciated.

AN supplemental: I have modified this chapter a bit, added Codex and changed some of the year numbers.

* * *

**Requiem of humanity: Forged by fires of Apocalypse**

**Prologue- How it all started**

War... War never changes. The end of the world came pretty much like everyone predicted. Too many humans, not enough space nor resources to go around.

The details are trivial and pointless... The reasons?

As always. Purely human ones.

October 23rd 2077, Earth was burned to cinders in two hour long exchange of nuclear arms fire. Humanity was nearly rendered extinct, their spirits becoming part of background radiation that bathed the earth.

A darkness and raging windstorms fell across the planet lasting decades. Few survived some fortunate enough to reach relative safety of enormeous underground shelters.

But it wasn't an end of the world like many feared. When the darkness passed and the shelters reopened their inhabitants set off to begin new lives.

After 23rd century humanity started to rebuild in earnest when three most economically strong nations of American Wasteland joined together and created a mutual trade and friendship pact between NCR, United East Coast and the Utopia of Nevada. As time goes by the word reached to every corner of earth and the dwindling humanity bands together. Willingly or in some cases were forced to cooperate. These collective inhabited regions were the European Republics, New Russian Federation and the United Protectorates of the Rising Sun.

When the inevitable concerns to Earths lack of Irradiation free space and scarce resource were brought in, the best and brightest of humanity once again turned their looks to stars. Mr House, the Overseer of UN pitches in with proposals to Space travel. Inevitably Mr House does have the technology and necessary installations to manage launch assets, key points being Repconn test site and Bloomfield space center in Arizona.

March 14th 2325 an unmanned test launch and simultaneous delivery of mining robots to space via disposable V29-329G rocket took place at Repconn site and was announced a success. By 2330 UN becomes the first nation to send a human to space. Unless you take into account that Lone Wanderer became the first Woman in space after being kidnapped by Aliens in 2278.

2332 Several mining robots, androids and handful of volunteers are sent to Mars, the main goal is to mine Mars and create a viable Colony to settle in. The mission is expected to be a one way trip for everyone. 2340 the nature of the Mars mission changes with single message. [Alien presence verified. Requesting mission update.] The discovery leaves everyone shocked.

By 2355 the Deseado Crater facilities are salvaged and the now dubbed 'archives' placed under studies of Best human scientist's, Androids and ZAX supercomputers.

Between the ZAX and Android assisted research the archives yield massive caches of data. A theoretic knowledge of mass changing physics, information of yet unknown substance called Element Zero, the origin of the alien race, the Protheans and the purpose of the installation. Finally a warning message is found from the archives vast data storages. It tells of the coming of ancient bio organic sentient machines that harvest the galaxy from apex sentient life every time between 50 to 100 000 years. For some reason the exact moment varies according to Protheans own studies.

Another message warns them not to trust the Mass relay gates so they would not fall to same trap as the Protheans did. An effort to design and create a FTL capabilities that are different from Mass Relay network begins. Space travel increases. Humanity bands together under collective alliance as Mars archive studies yields more results like signs of intelligent life outside the sol. Proposition to build armed and shielded star ships is suggested to bolster the already active rockets. Early star ship models use the nuclear powered fusion rocket engines for propulsion.

2363 A young idealistic Scribe named Zefram Cochrane develops a prototype Delta-XI space rocket using a reverse engineered Zeta matter-antimatter reactor.

The test flight is a success with achieved velocity of Warp factor 1.5. Cochrane's prototype propels humanity to achieve independent FTL capabilities. The Warp Drive enters to trial run where the engine is tested with it's maximum limits, dissassembled and modified to achieve increased velocities. By 2402 the Warp Drive powers a decent 3.5 factor. It's not as fast as Relay but humanity has a ensured means to travel incase the Relay's are crippled or disabled.

The T-45d and T-51b are refitted with new power generator, lighter Saturnite alloy platings and other various self defense measures. A new T-47a is created as a test model using Mass Effect core as a power source.

System Coalition naval strength is approximately 200 ships. The amount is further bolstered by PMC and other private sector vessels and assets.

Coalition standard manpower is around rough 1 000 000 to 1 500 000 but it's also increased by said PMC and Colonial voluntary militia forces that practically amounts the entire colonial population excluding those below fifteen years old. It remains controversional if this necessary rule is followed or not.

While the peace has lasted a good 121 years, there are lingering anxiety among the people that something out there may want to destroy that peace...

October 22nd 2411

_A new Relay is found in Dragon Sigma of the Red sun Nebula._

_The exploratory flotilla of single Battle Cruiser, two Frigate's, three Destroyers and two scientific freighters arrives to Dragon Sigma from Shanxi Theta._

All it takes is a single action to spark another conflict...

_During the studying process the rings containing the Eezo core starts to spin and the Relay turns on bringing a large flotilla of ships with mismatching built and design. As soon as the ships come across the Coalition ships they open fire which prompts the escorts to shoot back._

And war...

_The exchange of fire between the two sides destroys the Freighter CSEV Curiosity and both Frigate's CSBV Missisipi and Trafalgar. Battle Cruiser CSBV Megaton also suffers moderate hits, leaving it's forward triple turret and lighter Starboard guns knocked off their positions._

_The alien flotilla of 70 ships ranging from cross tonnage between Dreadnought and Corvette classes suffers two destroyed ships, one Cruiser and Frigate while Five other vessels suffers damages of various kind leaving them damaged and drifting in unstable conditions. Despite somewhat good odds of DEW DPS rate the two Destroyers and the remaining Explorer Freighter receives orders to run and warn Shanxi as the Megaton and Destroyer Paladin's Fury makes a last stand._

War never change's...

* * *

_Codex_

_DPS- Damage per shot_

_DT/DR- Damage Treshold/ Damage Resistance_

_DEW- Directed Energy Weapon_

_CSEV- Coalition Scientific Exploring Vessel_

_CSBV- Coalition Space Battle Vessel_

_Coalition Naval Classification list (From biggest to smallest and current count)_

_Carrier 2_

_Dreadnought 3_

_Battle Cruiser 7 -1_

_Cruiser 20_

_Frigate 36 -2_

_destroyer 45 -1_

_Corvette 60_

_misc 27 (Non combatant) -1_


	2. Chapter 2 Shanxi pt1

Chapter 1- The Battle of Shanxi part 1

AN:_ Right so i am placing these author notes after taking a look through the reviews, i admit punctuation could be better but do keep in mind this is my first ever written story. Now both __**Lone Gundam **__and __**Random Reader **__raise very good concerns and notes. __**This won't be a copy of the Ashes story but i can't garantee that there won't be similarities. The Mass Effect world has been pretty much picked clean of safe ideas to use without fear of copying someone's stories as i personally think so.**_

_Random Reader i appreciate the thoughts and notes you posted but i neither acknowledge nor deny the need to correct points you raised regarding first human in space nor the Mars expedition. Read them again and get back to me with PM if you want to make this a debate. For reference points check the Fallout wikia._

**_Comparing this to 'From the ashes' is pretty much a moot point _**_because i am not aiming for that sort of feat, im just writing this to empty my head for the damn idea that has pretty much been circling around since the day i signed up to this site..._

_Regardless of that it's nice to get noticed so thank you. Hopefully this keeps you entertained and wanting more._

_AN: 24.9. chapter 3 was removed due to the fact that i discovered it to be a UNINTENTIONAL copy which i had no idea until a moment ago, before anyone starts to ask questions i intent to rewrite and post it as soon as possible._

* * *

**Arcturus Station- Arcturus stream**

**October 23rd 2377**

**12 hrs after hostile contact of Dragon Sigma**

The 5 km diameter Stanford-Tauron built station of Arcturus was a primary base of Coalition forces and at the moment was a veritable bee hive of action as there were countles star ships converging on it's air space, a fun day for Arcturus Space flight control.

There were essentially two points of rallying the ships, each group concentrating around two Carriers one for both groups, there was one Dreadnought, three Battlecruisers, eight Cruisers concentrated for multi role purpose, six Destroyers and eight Frigates, four for anti capital ship battle and other four to planetary dropping. Finally there were two ships that resembled a 20th and 21st century Soviet Typhoon submarines with their matt black nondescript plain looking bodies. In addition to the two Battlegroups there were incomplete number of civilian class Corvettes, Freighters, rockets and shuttles, all of them belonging to Privateers and Mercenaries.

**Arcturus Obsevatory lounge**

Two persons were observing the Battlegroup rallying, one of them a woman was wearing a coalition Officers dress uniform, a classic Merc Charmer's dress in blue, black and gold linings. Slightly pale complexion and a brunette haircut done in no nonsense fashion.

Her companion was dressed in BoS Elders robes, slightly greying cropped haircut, tanned appearance and wrinkled face.

The silence was broken by the opening of doors as a middle aged woman came in, she had a suede colored Domestic goddess haircut and she was wearing a dark blue parkstrollers dress and black dress jacket, a seal of NCR president was pinned in her left breast. Both turned to face the woman.

"Admiral Drescher, High elder Robinson..."

High elder gave a nod while Admiral Drescher greeted her. "President McKinley..."

"A formal declaration of war against the aliens was issued by the Senate, there were some members who tried to... Discourage it, calling the declaration too hasty and wanted to approach them peacefully."

Elisabeth McKinley passed the recordings of Declaration and the documented memo's to both High elder and Admiral. Jason Robinson had a frown marring his wrinkled brow as he viewed the documents while Kastanie listened the recorded Declaration issued by Robert House, the Overseer of Utopia of Nevada.

[People of Coalition. As of today the October 23rd 2411 humanity is facing a war once again. Yesterday an exploratory flotilla came across sentient alien beings at Dragon Sigma cluster. Before they had a chance to initiate the first contact the aliens fired towards our ships, our brave naval men and women fought back but three of our ships were destroyed and i extend my condolences to the families and relatives of the lost crews of destroyed CSEV Curiosity and both CSBV Missisipi and Trafalgar.

As i am giving this speech, our colony of Shanxi has fallen silent with last message asking for help and reassuring us they will do what they can to defend the besieged planet.

It is important now that this Senate accepts the declaration and gives the Coalition free hands to fight and do whatever it takes to liberate Shanxi.]

As the recording ended Kastanie switched to Pip Boy's note browsers and scrolled the note's of Senate hearing. Agreements, opinions, plans, lend resouces and assets etc.

It was the opinions that gave her pause, then a dismayed groan that catched attention of both the elder's and president's.

"You saw that too."

There was an oozing sound of dissapointment in Jason's voice, Elisabeth just shooked her head.

"So... The FoA political party leader, Trish-fucking-Sears had to nearly start a political debate because she believed the 'incident' in Dagon Sigma was a god damn MISUNDERSTANDING?!"

Kastanie was practically spitting nails, Trish Sears was a staunch opposer of Coalition naval arming avenue and called it a glorified war mongering. The Follower of the Apocalypse tended to steer clear from anything considered military in nature and opting for more peaceful approach, many of them believed that Coalition military leadership simply overreacts and fears they would use the fear of the people to build a navy of armed ships dedicated to cause a galactic level apocalypse IF given the chance.

[Notes of Washington Capital Senate hearing of October 23 2411.

The vote regarding the mobilizing of Shanxi relief task forces was resolved with majority vote. FoA party leader Trish Sears used todays hearing

as a chance to initiate a debate regarding Coalition's view to use armed star ships, in her opinion the 'incident' of great misunderstanding at Dragon Sigma should be resolved peacefully by sending a peace envoy and not armed naval fleets. Her actions divided European representatives to three camps, 4 representatives voted for relief attack, 4 against and opting Sears' view while the final 4 decided to stay out and neutral

The following senate parties approved to send armed relief forces to Shanxi.

NCR

UN

UEC

NRF

ER

UPRS

AP

The following senate parties opposed to send armed relief forces to Shanxi

NCR

ER

UPRS

The following senate parties voted neutrally

ER

UPRS

It is with approval of the senate that combined Coalition mobilized fleet led by Admiral Kastanie Drescher is sent to Shanxi and assist the beleargued defenders of 4th Colonial defence force.]

"How much a defence force has in term of man power?" Kastanie didn't look from her Pip-boy as she asked that. New voice answered to her question.

"Between 1500 to 3000 persons plus any Colonial militia men and women, it nearly amounts the entire planetary population but militia weapons and equipment isn't as advanced as DF's nor Coalition marines."

All three turned to look as a cyan blue holgraphic person walked to them, he had a suit, stylish business man's haircut and short mustaches.

"You didn't face any trouble in Washington hearing other than what the notes tell?" House looked briefly out of the window as the fleet rallying kept going, few ships came out of Relay and some from Warp flight.

"Not at all madam President, i made a quick visits to few other places to secure more assets to Dreschers fleet, unfortunately they won't manage in time here to join in."

Jason had a nagging feeling as to what House meant.

"You intent to bring them out of Cryostasis?" House's only answer was a nod.

"It will take a week to monitor them and ensure that there weren't any complications during their reawakening, hopefully we can secure a ship and supplies by the time those two are at their full strength."

He looked to Jason directly in the eyes.

"I may as well give you a go ahead and oversee their care, tell them everything you can." Jason acknowledged House's suggestion and made a quick depart.

"Madam President; Mr House, will you excuse me i must leave too." Elisabeth gave a nod as did House with parting words to Admiral.

"Godspeed Admiral and make sure the Aliens will regret their little decision to invade our Colony." Admiral gave a salute and left.

Elisabeth and House both looked through the observatory window as the ships aligned to loose formation with the two Carriers taking center positions. Few last minute shuttle runs were done with the ships, 10 minutes later an announcement rang through the station communication network.

[_Arcturus this is CSBV Hanlon, last minute preparations are complete and Admiral Drescher is requesting a go for relay run._]

[_Hanlon this is the Arcturus control you have a permission for relay run._] Elisabeth asked a question form House. "Do you think the Shanxi can hold out the invaders?"

[_Hanlon to Owyn Lyons, prepare for CIU handshake..._] House stayed quiet for a moment before giving his answer "I believe Brigadier General Williams and Colonel Charon will do what they can. Never the less i shall tell the command analycing specialists that they should compile a report from the invasion and the attacks incase politicians would use this to their gain, especially people like Sears."

[_All ships make the necessary calculations and patch VI controls to CIU._] One by one the ships lighted up their after burners and flew towards one of the three Arcturus relays.

October 24th the invasion begins with Naval engagement of intense 2 and a half hour long space battle where defensive battlegroup of 29 ships fought against the remaining 60 alien ships, by that point it was obvious that both the Battlecruiser Megaton and Destroyer Paladin's Fury were also lost. CSEV Discovery's report from the battle of Dragon Sigma pointed that they managed to destroy two and damage five other so Megaton and Paladin had managed to either destroy or disable 3 more before their eventual downfall.

The alien flotilla had 3 Dreadnought's, one of them looked to be taken some beating. 18 Cruisers all showing various kinetic barrier levels and 4 of them sporting minor hull breaches. Their lightest ships were counted as 20 Frigates and the rest 19 were collection of Freighters and Corvette class Haulers.

The defenders only had single Dreadnought and 4 Battlecruisers to make their heavy hitters, 8 Cruisers and 6 Destroyers against E.T's 18. Finally the 5 Frigates and 5 Corvette patrol ships had to make due with against the overwhelming 20.

Admiral Hanzo Yamaguchi and Brigadier General Holly Williams felt that while their forces won't be able to hold in under long term fighting against the numbers the aliens had at the moment, they both still vowed to do their best until help would arrive.

Out of the 29 ships, all were lost at the end of the fighting, alien losses numbered 25. One Dreadnought and second heavily damaged, the 4 Cruisers with hull breaches were destroyed and 2 more were added to toll. 7 Frigates and 10 Haulers were also destroyed but it still left 35 ships to operate without trouble and the Defenders knew that whatever the following days would bring to them was bound to be utter hell as the aliens landed enmass...

The invader forces were mismatched group of aliens, Orange and yellow skinned four eyed human beings that had a slight resembling features of a Molerat. Then there were huge Gekko like hunchbacks, hideous pointy eared gremlins that were dumb but resilient little vermins, a four legged vicious hunters that usually accompany both the hunchbacks and the four eyed humans, lizzards with two huge eyes and slightly deformed horns, they favored stealth above all else and finally the trple fingered avians, they seemed to have some sort of metallic carapace skin and set of mandibles in mouth sides, these beings also showed a sort of militaristic discipline. The lizards and avians were few comparing the majority of the other alien numbers.

Their collective armament were definetly mass effect based like the defenders, but where their weapons used the caseless bullets the alien ones shot sand grain sized chips and a like they also followed the principle of shatter/Squash effect to deliver kinetic force impacts, The notable difference was that alien ones shot at faster rate and had to cool down after periodic firing and some had more devastating properties then others.

In the defenders case their mass accelerator adapted weapons used caseless bullets meaning their firing rate was slower, but they also had the 'Directed Energy Weapons' like laser and plasma that pretty much ignored kinetic barriers but not armors, the armors did withstand a bit against the coherent superheated shots of laser and plasma and then burned through the layers of ceramics, plastics and metal alloys, the boiling effect was dangerous to extend but you still had to shoot more than once to really kill. Pulse weapons like mines and grenades knocked or fried anything containing electronic components like weapons, Omni-tools, some of the armor systems depending the manufacturer and armors safety measures, they also knocked off the harder vehicles like APC's, tanks, shuttles and gunships, the last two in some very improviced cases of use.

Colonial militia and civil security had to make due with non DEW weapons as the CDF only had them sparsely and just enough for every soldier, it was all about gun control laws and regulations anyway.

A localized and individually organized fighting took places at the forested area surrounding the Far Point, heads on entrenched firefights, mortar strike ambushes and lone snipers. The Shanxi airforce group kept the alien gunships and shuttles busy with frequent gun runnning's, the aliens eventually figured out the tactics and adapted after losing dozens of their armor and aerial assets not to mention hordes of men.

Biggest setbacks for defenders was the loss of their main AFB and compliment of 31 F-86, 18 A-10 fighters and 8 VB-02B1 Vertibirds not to mention a bulk of ordnance, fuel, spare parts and 500 men after Frigate performed a series of orbital strikes, The AFB was the most obvious of them with open non covered areas, hangars and runways, this forced the command to break the squadrons to small 5-8 plane flights and relocate to remote areas with un paved clearings for improviced runways, of course that didn't hamper the V-TOL's like Vertibirds and Predator S&A fighters but the F-86's and A-10 Ground attack fighters had to use the wide four lane highways and forested clearings with ghillienets or Stealth boys for cover, the fighter wings also had to resort fewer strikes with limited fuel and ordnance reserves.

Same pretty much happened to one of the four depots tending the the six armored companies, 26 M60A2's and 16 M-29 Grizzly APC's were lost. Not to mention few tonnes of fuel and ammunition supplies. By a stroke of miracle the rest of the orbital strikes struck at random looking points, most likely directed by ground commander. Most of them were vacated old defenders points like dug trenches and artillery stations, nothing solid nor reinforced like those in Far Point, Tai Sheng and in small towns and settlements.

The aliens changed their tactics by sending cloaked lizzards and avians do their scouting and sabotaging, then their armors rolled in but out of everything nothing was more dangerous than to see the gekkos and four eyed brutes to attack, the gekkos favored a close quarter tactic with shotguns and melee while the brutes favored spike throwers and other ballistic weaponry over mass accelerators. At first the tactic worked against the defenders as they had very little to prepare for close encounters.

During the following weeks the defenders doubled their efforts, some power armored Brotherhood and NCR soldiers had an added CQC weapons like variety of Power fists, Sledge hammers, Auto axes, Shiskebab's and even few Thermic lances while rangers, marines, samurais and ninjas mostly had heated Saturnite combat knifes, Axes, Hatches, Machetes, Katana and Chinese swords.

Things started to become more clearer as the defenders observed and compiled the intel, they didn't concentrate their efforts against the Capital. _Yet, _or they didn't search any military targets with such an active fashion than thought, the few scouts that were sent into the hostile territory reported back with sightings detailing an appearance of containers, hastily built pens and camps located in the enemy staging area.

The final piece to point E.T's intentions were revealed with the ransacking of Green plains settlements public shelter where 165 townpeople of men, women and children were captured and herded back to the staging area. That meant E.T were nothing but a group of slavers like Raiders and legion, just more dangerous.

The search and rescue squad that was sent in during the night came back at dawn and brought back few bodies, elders and any civil security members, eviscerated by stakes, mutilated and slashed by blades and blunt objects or sporting mass accelerator ballistic trauma wounds, the final count of dead bodies were around 46 colonist settlers.

It was by pure luck that overall the aliens ignored the Metro tunnel that leads back to circling network between Far Point and settlements, perhaps it was due to the sealed blast doors separating the station from the entrance tunnel. Or they simply didn't risk themselves with the pretty high bounty they hauled off from the shelter.

* * *

**Far Point Plaza- Little Alexandria- Zhaodang- White line A-1-3**

**Operation Save heaven- BoS 501**

**Jr. Paladin Steven Shepard**

**October 26th 2411 2100hrs [48 hrs later]**

The underground traffic tunnel was illuminated by the emergency lights placed at the ground levels to provide what ilumination they could, their real purpose lied in the fire emergencies to provide guidance to near safety shelters or guide you to emergency access ways depending at where in the tunnels people were in during the fire.

The tunnels traffic were divided with two lanes for cars, busses, trucks and motorbikes, two lanes in and two lanes out, between them was two Matro train track lines and between them a platform that had stairs leading down to station and to stairs leading back up to walk ways situated in both sides of the tunnel running parallel with traffic roads.

In some parts there was a separating walls between the tracks and roads to muffle the noise they produced and to support the tunnel structure, just like the predecessoring tunnel work in earth. Its just a copied version of Washington tunnels people do build these days and its been perfected by scribes and engineers of UEC.

When the planetary wide invasion alert came people just abandoned everything. The testimony of silent Corvegas, trucks and motorbikes left to lying on their sides was a proof of that as most vehicles in the tunnel were left disorganized in broken zigzag lines, some even looked like crashed in with totalled fronts and backs.

The still scene of the traffic tunnel was broken by movement in the shadows, a bulky looking form made an effort to move as quietly as possible despite the rather noisy stomping and pneumatic whispers it produced, four more identical forms joined it. Their 'heads' had a single faint red light in right side of the forehead and their 'eyes' were illuminated with faint green light, the heads also had what seemed like hoses coming out from the heads and presumebly went to their backs, it was hard to tell due to the emergency lighting illuminating the ground and not the ceiling nor walls.

A Heavy green leg crushed the lying plastic Dinky the dinosaur without an effort then it rose and a grey gauntleted hand picked up what was left from the mangled toy didn't show anything interesting other than that the examiner just stept to it, the gauntlet flashed so the person dropped the toy.

[_Hello? Does anyone hear me, we have a close to 40 people packed in at the Traffic utility access J-14 and at the fire emergency shelter A-9, 23 people are in need of a medical care and our supplies are running low... Please. Someone answer to this message, We need a...] _

_"This is jr Paladin Shepard of the 501__st__ who am i speaking with?" _

Paladin Shepard turned around and waved his right hand while he kept his Pip Boy encased, the grey gauntlet situated so that he saw the flashing screen.

Three more in Power Armors jogged to him, their movement producing a heavy stomping noise, one had a H&K L30 Gatling Laser in his arms and a pair of GRA 10mm Mass Accelerator outfitted N99- SMGs strapped on it's waist via magholsters.

[_M-Maria, please... Help us._]

The second was armed with 50MG anti matter rifle, a M4-MA1 strapped on its back and GRA N99-MA1b hand gun in it's waist magholster.

The last of the three had a YCS-186 Gauss rifle, H&K P90c and several grenades.

Shepard had a Laser RCW and a pair of GRA 45-MA1b handguns. "_Alright. Now stay calm we're coming to you."_

" _Knight Myers, go back and tell the column to get a move on, use an M60A2 to clear a road through this scrap, also tell them to send a medic team ahead and join in with us." _

The one with anti matter rifle nodded and jogged back the way they came from, Paladin Shepard turned back to others.

" _The rest of us will move ahead and secure J-14 and A-9 points... Now lets roll. Jr Knight Bowser takes the point." _

The Gatling laser armed knight nodded and acknowledged with soft females voice "_Roger that sir._" then she took point and moved ahead of them.

* * *

**Mt Tai Sheng Colonial Command (Vault Complex)**

**October 26th 2411 2115hrs**

**Brigadier General H Williams**

**Colonel Charon**

**Elder Barcley**

[_Shepard to Overlord, we have arrived to A-9 and J-14. We're holding the position, im sending scouts to assess Little Alexandria station's security._]

"Jr Paladin Shepard, be adviced the Little Alexandria town is under danger of alien occupation. Stealth drone is picking a lot of heat signatures, twenty plus footmobiles and ten plus armor converging on the eastern side of Jade Dragon river ."

[_Copy Overlord._]

The same activity had gone for three days since the attack started. The aliens pushed the defenders back little by little. To Brigadier General Holly Williams and everyone else it was a nerve wrecking with limited manpower and supplies while the aliens had a somewhat coordinated drops. The only thing that didn't grant them a luxury of unlimited supplies were their three Anti Orbital Defensive cannons that kept harassing their orbital assets whenever possible while the air wing elements and mechanized ground assets were disrupting the alien staging point and camps. The runs were depending on the limited resources of fuel, power and armaments and had to be done with rationally, it was frustrating as many field observers and commanders claimed it to be.

"General, Colonel. I have a patched up signal to Talon 1-1 and Raider 1-2..."

The female Ghoul manning one of the numerous comm stations looked towards them, she had an artificially grown skin craft patches in places where the Ghoul condition had worst signs of flaking off. There was a theoretic rumours that an engineered FEV treatment could transform Ghouls into more stable condition.

"Keep listening to their chattering Leutenant Baxton."

"Yes Colonel."

Williams leant over the circular command and control station while examining the lightened 3-D geographic map of Shanxi. She had the greying 'Domestic goddess' bobcut framing her gracefully aging features, Standard black and blue color schemed 'Merc Charmer' officers uniform. Black leggings and combat boots.

Charon was wearing male version of the Merc Charmer outfit with black combat boots, Metal Armor wrist gauntlets, the outfit didn't have the stuffed neck piece.

Like any Coalition officers uniform it also had a blue and black scheme.

Like Williams, Charon also intensified his scrutiny over the map. Two green triangles with tags of T 1-1 and R 1-2 left from one of the improviced roadstrip camps the airwings had created using the traffic roads, both flashed tags for 'Master arm ON' displaying their weapon payloads.

T 1-1 had typical armament for F-86 interceptor, four nose mounted 50 MG's and wing fixed laser cannon's, one for each wing. In addition there were also two pods of Red Glare rockets and four air to air heat seeker missiles each carrying single MFC warheads and single Mini Nuke.

R 1-1 being a generally designated A-10 Ground Support fighter had a lot more to carry, single nose mounted 50 MG Gatling, four Red Glare pods, six air to ground missiles each carrying MFC warheads and four Mini Nukes.

[_Hammer actual to Overlord, we are engaging against a group of big 'six wheelers' at the road C-1 2 km southeast from Little Alexandria past 'Double Tee'!_]

"Hammer group is under attack. Any independent elements are adviced to proceed into C-1 and assist."

[_Easy Bear copies all, we're proceeding towards C-1._]

* * *

The C-1 road was one of four general traffic roads, it leads to south towards Little Alexandria then to southeast and accross the Jade Dragon river and continues to Green Plains.

Road C-2 goes to south from Far Point to Zhaodang running side by side with C-1 and leads to Point Fairbanks town towards south and from there to destroyed AFB Sierra Rock.

C-3 is a road with lots of bridged sections due to small rivers linking to Jade Dragon and shallow canyons and hills, it circles around the quarter section of western and northwestern Far Point then it continues to north towards New Hong Kong settlement, military depots and barracks and finally ending at mt Tai Sheng natural park.

C-4 went pretty much from Shanxi general space port, cutting accross under the Far Point and from there to Mt. Tai Sheng natural park. Roads C-1 and C-2 also led to Space port.

* * *

"Leutenant Willis, patch the Hammer radio traffic to us."

A human male technician stationed next to Leutenant Baxton acknowledged and responded to Charons request.

"Patching it through Colonel."

[..._HEAT loaded, driver get us the hell away from that six wheelers line of fire!_]

The connection background had a lot of tanks gun noises, both the coaxial 10mm machinegun and the 150mm maingun.

[_Target in sight! Fire HEAT!_] Another heavy bang was heard. [_'Six Wheeler' crippled,Chang turn right and circle around that wreck th-__**BHOOM**__-_] New voice took over and informed them.

[_Hammer 1 actual is hit, the tank is on fire, Hammer 1-2 takes the lead._]

The Command and Controls holographic map had concentrated to Hammer engagement, six green dots tagging them as Hammer 1-2 to 1-7, the green dot of Hammer 1-1 was surrounded by red ring and tag 'DESTROYED', then another green dot blinked red with rings and 'DESTROYED' tag, Hammer 1-5.

Against them were eight red dots each tagging them as Tango 1 through 11, two of them had red rings and tags of 'DESTROYED' and 'CRIPPLED'. Williams spoke while charon listened in next to her. "Hammer 1-2 this is Overlord."

[_Go ahead Overlord._]

"Rendevouz with Easy Bear then pull back to northwestern banks of Jade Dragon river, blow the 'Double Tee' bridge and wait further instructions."

[_Solid copy Overlord_.]

"Charon?"

"Yes ma'am?" He looked as the Brigadier General leaned over the CIU with severe concentrating look.

Williams inspected the map again, the six dots of Hammer unit moved away from the red dots and Little Alexandria. A blue square blinked on at the Jade Dragon rivers eastern bank. A tag of 64th Bear E was shown with green bold letters, below that were more identity tags, MACO Platoon 6, Forward Artillery observers and Demolition squad 'Tunnel snakes'.

"Order a airstrike to finish those 'Six wheelers' then assign Boomer Bravo to be Easy Bears delivery element, we really have to stop these bastards gaining anymore upper hand here..."

Charon turned to Baxton and nodded his head and Baxton turned back to her station. "Overlord to Talon flight, new target 1.5-2km range from Little Alexandria... Break... Eight Six Wheelers and possibly a footmobile element of ten plus or more... Break...Engage and Destroy repeat: Engage and destroy."

[_Solid Copy Overlord, new heading, Alexandria 2 klick south- southwest and southeast._]

* * *

The Green Plains settlement ransacking had made the aliens bolder and in 48 hours Zhaodang settlement fell under occupation, 58 settlers, 25 security officers and 31 militia members died while 68 were captured and 10 managed to escape into the tunnels. The 10 survivors linked in with bedraggled survivors at the A-9 shelter and J-14 utility tunnels.

The inhabitants of Point Fairbanks town, local civil security and militia detachment fought to bloody ending and at the end of 6 hour fighting 120 humans and 70 aliens ended up dead, the youngest of twenty five kids and few babies manage to escape and were escorted by single militia volunteer Hannah Shepard. Her two children, 5-year old Jacob and his sister a 6-month old baby Mary-Jane were among the group.

While the BoS 501st kept scouring the tunnels for survivors and setting roadblocks and mines to key 'bottleneck' points, the surface had a raging war going on, the defenders were becoming more and more hampered by fatique with lack of decent sleep and dvindling field assets like rations, ordnance and fuel. Those few defenders who were stuck behind enemy lines knew that there was two extreme options, become a captive or go out with a bang. To go out with a bang usually meant literally to go out with bang and a huge one, some Power Armored soldiers used the little feature hidden in the backpacked reactor that basically rendered them a one big bomb, others made and used juryrigged explosives out of mini nukes, Micro Fusion Cells, C-4 charges and mines.

Whenever a trenched line was in a verge of being overrun a Boomer Alpha artillery barrage pounded the place with ecessive and liberal 'Danger close' firing. This time the enemy usually resorted to Gekko and those rapid four legged animal pack attacks, occasionally there were some Gremlins with their frenzied grenade, explosive and flamer toting.

By 1200hrs of October 27th the defenders pulled back to Far Point and Recaptured Little Alexandria. Easy Bear took positions in Alexandria and Jade Dragons northeastern banks with third of BoS 501, Hammer One's M60A2s and Militia detachments while everything else were sent to prepare the Far Points parks, Plaza, important locations and streets for upcoming and gruelling urban warfare. Boomer Bravo would provide whatever barrages they could for Alexandria and Jade Dragon lines.

* * *

_**Codex**_

_CIU- Central Intelligence unit_

_**Earth Senate**_

_The Council of post apocalyptic nations was founded with the aftermath of contacts with respected nations of the Post apocalyptic earth._

_The Post apocalyptic America is part of New california Republic, United East coast and Utopia of Nevada_

_The nations of English Isles, Normandy federation, Spain, New Vatican, Dutch kingdom, Baltic alliance and United Scandinavia forms the core of European Republics._

_New Russian federation is largely independent but shares votes with ER and United Protectorates of the Rising Sun._

_Japan federation, Empire of China and Korea forms the United protectorates of Rising Sun._

_Australia, New Zeland and the Archipelago of midwestern Pacific forms the so called Anzac Pact._

_Each nation has a party of four seats per nation bringing the head count to 72 members that vote on a matters like Shanxi mobilizing._

**_4__th__ Colonial Defence Force (Shanxi first part)_**

_**Brotherhood of Steel 501 Battalion**_

_Asset strength 95_

_Compliment: 456 men and women_

_Duties: Provide heavy weapon and Power Armored support to light military outfits and act as tank division or motorized compliments reconnaissance element._

_Notable members: Jr Paladin Steven Shepard (Operation Save Heaven) asset bonus +2_

_Type of Armor: T-45d-A1, T-51b-A2, XT-47 (Prototype)_

_**Engineer detachment**_

_Asset strength 130_

_Compliment: 25 men and women_

_Duties: Blow or sabotage stationary targets._

_Type of armor: Hardsuits, Leather Armor and Combat Armor harnesses_

**_64__th__ NCR Battalion 'Bear' Easy-Company_**

_Asset strength 50_

_64__th__ Marksman and Reconnaissance Platoon_

_compliment: 30 men and women_

_Duties: Observe, Recon and Harass enemy by assasinating HVT individuals like leaders and officers, MO by solo or in small fire teams_

_Type of armor: T-45d-A1 (Trained specialist), Hardsuit, Assasins outfit, Ghillie net fitted Leather Armor and Combat Armor Harnesses_

_6__th__ Marine Corps Platoon_

_Compliment: 32 men and women_

_Duties: support Navy and army operations as well as execute their own ops._

_Type of armor: Combat Armor, Recon Armor, Power Armor (Trained specialists) and Hardsuits_

_Forward Artillery observation_

_compliment: 18 men and women_

_duties: Act as fire directing observers to artillery batteries_

_Type of armor: Combat Armor and Recon armor_

_Hammer squad 1_

_compliment 5 x M60A2_

_Duties: Assist 64__th__ to defend Jade Dragon line. (Former: Part of the joint Shanxi heavy armour company)_

_Type of armor: M60A2 'Starship'_

_**Armors**_

_Combat Hardsuit is a triple layered personal protection outfit designed to shield the wearer against a number of hazards._

_The first layer is the protecting energy screen called Kinetic Barrier, KB is emitted by a number of emitter capacitors connected to Sensor system that keeps scanning the enviroment for rapidly incoming objects and projectiles, everytime the screen deflects a hitting object it reduces the emitters power, provided that the wearer avoids the incoming fire with periodic covering the emitters can recharge itself in short periods, if the screen and emitters are under constant generating under incoming fire they lose the power and fail due to power strain, if that happens then the emitter power source needs to be replaced and in that case the system is designed for hotswapping._

_If the incoming object, a fired projectile or other type manages to breach the shield, the second layer of traditional bodyarmor prevents the damage to vital areas for a periodic time that largely depends on the type and amount of projectiles and armor condition, typically the armored layers are a mixture of different materials._

_The outermost layer is lightweight composite ceramics like Saturnite or poly laminated composite alloy used in T-51b Power Armors, optionally some models have the 10-micron thick silver coating with the poly laminated composite plating. Under the outer layers are additional light alloys and plastics that provide additional momentary protection in the case the ceramics and ablative plates break apart._

_The plates are typically placed over to vital parts that don't need flexibility like chest, back and head._

_The last of the triple level is the micro computer and sensory incorporated bodysuit and that manages the bodily damages by lacing the rents, tears and any wounds with sealing sterile non-conductive medi-gel, this procedure is only meant for first aid in battlefield emergencies and will require a more lasting medical aid afterwards. There are two versions for 'Medical trauma skin' or 'Squish skin'._

_A lighter version for CDF and Militia members to be used under their simple fabric outfits like Leather Armor, Merc outfits, Combat Armors, Armored Ranger gears, Metal Armors and so on._

_The heavier reinforced version has additional kinetic pad layers to be used under the Combat Hardsuit alloy plating. This also protects the wearer in vacuum and in enviroments filled with toxic properties like gas._

_The Combat Hardsuit may become the average choice to those not affiliated to BoS, or ithey need lighter protection due to operational capacity and simply for personal preferences_

_Where as the Power Armor has highest protection with thick titanium and composite alloy armor augmented by motorized exoskeleton and mandatory Recon Armor undersuit, it sacrifices agility and is unable to undergo field customising without a depot facilities and tools to take the armor apart._

_The Combat Hardsuit provides agility while not being as protective as PA and it can be upgraded, customised and the parts can be swapped for replacements in the field when necessary._

_Where as the Power Armor can withstand Directed Energy Weapon better than the Hardsuit, it all depends on the condition of the ablative DT properties and the weapons DPS stats. The Harduit which has more lighter Armor layers than Power Armor suffers faster deteriorating against any DEW before the wearer is cooked up or burned inside his or her suit._


End file.
